Tata Zest has awesome features that competitors can't match

The Tata Zest is such an impressive vehicle that it is bound to be a massive success in the Indian market, writes Faisal Ali Khan of MotorBeam.com

Tata Motors can be credited for starting many segments, it was the first Indian automaker to launch a completely indigenous vehicle in the 1990s and it was the first car maker in the world to bring out a sub 4-metre sedan.

Tata Motors invented the compact sedan segment when it launched the Indigo CS in 2008, it was the world's shortest sedan.

However, in the past 5 years, Tata Motors hasn't launched an all-new product which has affected their sales.

Now the company is going all out with a product onslaught, the first of which is the Tata Zest, an all new compact sedan which has high hopes riding on it.

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The Tata Zest is a nicely designed car, it tucks under the 4-metre mark without making it obvious as the design is smooth flowing and nothing seems abrupt like seen on some cars in this segment.

The Zest has nice elements which really highlight the vehicle, for instance, the top spec model gets daytime running lights which is an unseen feature in this segment. The vehicle also gets projector headlights and the boot is nicely integrated, giving the car a smooth flowing profile.

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If you are all praises for the exteriors, the interiors will truly wow you over. The design is very European and almost everything is new inside the cabin (save for the door pads and power window switches).

Quality is vastly improved and the cabin is a nice place to be in. The steering is a perfect 360 mm round and feels good to hold while the instrument cluster has very clean dials and is feature rich too.

The piano black touch on the centre console is neat while equipment inside the cabin are plenty, right from climate control to rear parking sensors, the Zest is loaded.

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The best feature is the ConnectNext infotainment system which gets Bluetooth connectivity and voice commands which can be activated via the steering mounted audio controls.

The touch-screen system has a range of connectivity options and the audio quality is excellent for a stock setup, this system has been made by Harman.

The boot is decently big at 390 litres but the rear seats don't flip forward and the door pockets are too small to accommodate a 1-litre bottle.

There are no magazine pockets behind the front seats either so storage bins aren't in abundance.

The seats are good though and there is plenty of legroom and headroom for all passengers, a rear seat centre armrest is sorely missed.

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The best feature is the ConnectNext infotainment system which gets Bluetooth connectivity and voice commands which can be activated via the steering mounted audio controls.

The touch-screen system has a range of connectivity options and the audio quality is excellent for a stock setup, this system has been made by Harman.

The boot is decently big at 390 litres but the rear seats don't flip forward and the door pockets are too small to accommodate a 1-litre bottle.

There are no magazine pockets behind the front seats either so storage bins aren't in abundance.

The seats are good though and there is plenty of legroom and headroom for all passengers, a rear seat centre armrest is sorely missed.

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Where the Revotron mill excels is low and mid-range performance, turbolag is almost non existent and one can amble around town comfortably as there is good performance lower down the rev range.

On the highways though, one does need to work the gearbox for quick overtakes, the 5-speed unit is slick shifting and the clutch is light too.

The three driving modes alter the performance very minutely but one can feel the improved response in Sport mode.

The other two modes are City (default mode) and Eco (for improved mileage).

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Where the Revotron mill excels is low and mid-range performance, turbolag is almost non existent and one can amble around town comfortably as there is good performance lower down the rev range.

On the highways though, one does need to work the gearbox for quick overtakes, the 5-speed unit is slick shifting and the clutch is light too.

The three driving modes alter the performance very minutely but one can feel the improved response in Sport mode.

The other two modes are City (default mode) and Eco (for improved mileage).

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The Tata Zest is nothing like a Tata car you have seen before. It is so well engineered that it can take the fight to other cars in the segment and also give them a tough time.

The Zest comes with engines which offer excellent drivability and are frugal too.

The styling is attractive, the interiors feature loaded and comfortable while the overall package very appealing.

This is one Tata car which is bound to sell well in the Indian market.